Centering device for punch presses



v Q Z6 v July 12, 1932. c GLAZE ET AL 1,866,704

CENTERING DEVICE FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed June 10, 1929 &/m 0:6 xx

llllllli' we I Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED stares CLIFFORD H. GLAZE, F LONG BEACH, AND CLAUDE I. BROWN, OF COMPTON,

CALIFORNIA rarer OFFICE onn'rnnme DEVICE For; runon rnnssns Application filed June 10, 1929. Serial No. 369,854.

This invention relates to a device for 10- cating an article in a machine in proper position for an operation or operations to be performed thereon. utility with punch presses where holes are punched in sheet material and where the positions of such holes are indicated or located by punch marks' In certain types of punch press work the centers 'of the'holes to be punched are located by punch marks, and a small tip is provided on the bottom of the punch with which the punch mark is engaged by lifting the artlcle to be punched against the centering tip formed on the punch. Where the punching operation is performed on heavy sheet metal, it is possible to make the punch marks of such depth that they may be easily brought into engagement with the centering tip of the punch, but such practice entails considerable labor owing to the fact that the heavy metal sheets must be lifted into engagement wit-h such centering tip of the punch.

In other classes of punching work, the sheets to be punched are cut to a definite size so that they be placed against stops or guides in the punch press so that the positions of the sheets will be thus definitely located with reference to the punch.

t is an object of our invention to provide a center locating device which may be swung into such position that one or more center points will be held in a predetermined position under the ram or head of the punch,the article to he punched being provided with one or more center punch marks which will be engaged by the one or more center punches of the center locatorv when the article of work is placed on the guide block secured to the The device is of especial A further object of the'invention is to provide means operating in conj unctionwith the centering device to prevent actuation of the punch press, or othermachine on'which the centering device may be used, during the time the center locator is in operativeposition.

A further object of' the invention is to provide a work locating devicewhich may be swung with the Work into the proper position a of the work for the operations which are to be performed thereon, and which locator may then be swung back out of the way, leaving the work in the'required position to be operated'on. r

I A further object of the invention is to so construct and pivot the locator that it will swing laterally and'downwardly toward work locating position and will swing laterally and upwardly away from work locatingposition,

thereby enabling the placement of the article of work in engagementwith the centering'or' locating member and swinging the'locating,

device into voperative position with thearticle of work in engagement therewith, therebeing means for raising the centering element of the locating device'from engagement with the article of work.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character so equipped I that the work locating or centering element may be adjusted to any desired position relative to the tools of the machine with which the invention is employed. 1 The invention is particularly adapted for operation on parts where the quantity does not warrant the making of gauges or stops, and in many instances facilitates punching operations on quantity production which would ordinarilywarrant the use of gauges.

Thejinvention also eliminates the necessity of cutting sheets of metal to be punched to definite size in order that stop gauges may be employed therewith, for the reason that in its simple form the invention employs center punch marks on the work in the proper lo c ating of the work relative to thepunch or other tool which may be employed.

Further objects and advantages will appear throughout the following part of the specification. I

Referring to the drawing which is for illustra-tive purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view showing an embodiment of the invention applied to a punch press.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view taken as indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section taken as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

For the purpose of expediting the disclosure of the invention, we show a simple form thereof in use with a machine which may be represented by a punch press 11 having a table 12 on which a die 13 is secured in the customary manner by bolts 14, such die 13 having a hole 15 therein through which metal is punched from a plate by the operation of a punch secured in the ram or head of the punch press, which latter parts are of standard construction and therefore require no illustration here.

A member or arm 16 is provided with a lift able-work engaging member, which, in the simple form of the invention shown, may be in the form of a center point 17 having ashaft 18 extending through a threaded sleeve 19 which is secured to an extension 20 of the arm 16 by nuts 21 and 22 which are screwed tight against the upper and lower faces of the extension 20. A spring 23 operates between the lower end of the threaded sleeve 19 and a collar or washer 24 on the center point 17 to hold the center point normally in clownward position. For the purpose of lifting the work engaging element represented by the center point 17, a lever 25 is provided, this lever being carried on a horizontal pin 26 which extends through upwardly projecting ears 27 at the outer end of the extension 20. The inner end 28 of the lever 25 is forked or perforated so as to enclose the upper portion of the shaft 18 below a washer 29 which 7 is held on the upper end of the shaft 18 by locking means which may be in the form of a cotter pin 30.

By downward pressure on a handle portion 31 of the lever 25, the inner end 28 may be caused to swing upwardly and to thereby liftthe work engaging element represented by the center point 17 againstthe action of the spring 23. V

The arm 16 includes a bracket 32 having a lower substantially horizontal frame mem ber 33 and a diagonal frame member 34 which extends upwardly from an end 35 of the bracket 32 to a vertical strut 36 which connects between themembers 33 and 34 near inner ends 37 and 38 thereof. Tubular clips 39 and 40, held by the bracket 32, receive the inner end 41 of the extension 20 and enable an inward and outward sliding ofthe extension 20 relative to the bracket 32. For the purpose of adjusting the center point 17 to a desired position, set screws 42 are pro vided with the tubular clips 39 and 40 for locking the extension 20 in a desired position.

A supporting member 44 consisting of a plate 45 having upper and lower outwardly bent arms 46 and 47 is secured to a frame 48 of the punch press 11 by means of screws 49. A hinge pin or shaft 50 extends through holes provided near the outer ends of the arms 46 and 47. The upper end 51 of the hinge pin 50 is offset in an inward and rearward direction relative to the frame 48 of the punch press, or in other words, is offset in the direction of the arrow 52 of Fig. 1.

The inner ends 37 and 38 of the bracket 32 enclose the hinge pin 50, the upper end 38 being bent rearwardly to a greater extent than the lower end 37 to compensate for the rearward and inward slope of the hinge pin 50 and so as to maintain the forward portions of the members 33 and 34 substantially vertical. A collar 53 secured to the lower face of the end 37 by welding, or otherwise, as may be desired, cooperates with a pin 54 in locking the bracket 32 to the hinge pin 50 so that the hinge pin 50 is thereby required to rotate with the bracket. I

From the operative position indicated in Fig.1 the arm 16 is adapted to swing outwardly and sidewardly. in the direction of the arrow 55 of Fig. 1 on the rearwardly sloping axis of the hinge pin 50. As the arm 16 swings from the full line position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 toward the out-of-the-way position shown by dotted lines 56, it moves upwardly toward the vertical plane coinciding with the arrow 52, and as it passes to the right of the plane represented by the arrow 52 it swings downwardly, thus being held by gravity against an upwardly turned stop 57 projecting upwardly from the, extremity of the lower arm 47 of the securing means 44; therefore the possibility of the arms swinging inadvertently into its operative position is obviated. During the swinging ofthe arm 16 from the inoperative position indicated by the dotted lines 56 in leftward direction towards its operative position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 1, it will swing downwardly afterit has passed the vertical plane indicated by the arrow 52 and by gravity will be held toward the operative position shown in full lines.

An adjustment screw 60 having a lock nut 61 is threaded through a block'or nut 62 car ried by the bracket 32. This adjustment screw 60 engages a stationary part which may be a corner 63 of the punch press frame 48. By moving the extension 20 in or out and changing the limit to which the arm 16 may be swun in leftward direction by necessary adjustment of the screw 60, a wide range of positions of the center point 17 may be had. By this combination of adjustments it is possible to definitely position the centering ele ment of the center locating device at any point relative to the table 12 of the punch press required by the particular die use.

The invention also provides safety means for preventing actuation of the clutch of the punch press or operating mechanism of such other machine as the center locator may be employed with. In the form ofthe invention shown, it consists of astop 7 0 formed on a collar 71 which is secured in position on the 10 hinge pin 50 by means of a set screw 72 so as to rotate with the hinge pin when the arm 16 is swung between operative and inoperative positions. When the arm 16 isin operative position, the stop 70 will restadjacent mechanism, such asa collar 74, secured to a vertical clutch actuating rod 75 of the punch press. A guide plate '7 6, secured by bolt means 77, may be extended from the supporting member 4A or the frame 48 of the punch press into such position that a notch or opening 78 in the end thereof will engage and guide the vertical clutch actuating rod 75 thus holding this rod in a definite relative to the stop member 70.

When the arm 16 is in operative position, the clutch of the punch press can not be thrown in; therefore all possibility of accidental operation of the punch press during the setting of the work thereinis eliminated. In the use of the device shown, the plate or other article of work to be punched may be placed in engagement with the center point 17 while the arm 16 is swung outwardly from its operative position, and the article of work may be swung leftwardly with the arm until the arm comes to stop in the operative position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, the proper positioning of the article of work thus being determined by the stopping of the arm.

7 osition 26 p The center point may be lifted by manipulation of the lever so as to disengage the article of work, and the arm 16 may then be swung in rightward direction to the inoperative position indicated by the dotted lines 56, at which time the stop 70 will be in a position of disengagement relative to the collar 74 on the clutch actuating rod 7 5 so that it will then be possible to throw in the clutch of the punch press.

In the illustration of the invention we have shown the work engaging element in the form of a center p0int'17 adapted to engage a center point mark or depression in the article of work,but it will be recognized that this work engaging element may be a plurality of center point members or may be a frame having fingers adapted to engage peripheral parts of an article of work on which operations are to be performed.

Irrespective of the type of work engaging element employed in the practice of the invention, such work engaging element is adapted to be lifted from engagement with the work and swung into a position at the side to a movable part of the clutch actuating shall have thescope of thefollowing claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A work locator of the character described, including: an arm; means enabling 0 the swinging of said arm from an inoperative position, at a side, in lateral and downward direction'towards'operative position; an adjustable stop for determining the operative position of said arm; and a center point car ried by said arm for engaging a depression in an article of work, said center point having a definite position when said arm is in operative position, said center point being vertically movable from engagement with said depression. 1

2. A work locator of the character de-' scribed, including: an arm; meansenabling the swinging of said arm from an inoperative position, at aside, in lateral and'downward di- 'rection towards operativeposition; an adjustable stop for determining the operative position of said arm; andmeans for engaging an article of work, said means being carried by said arm in position to definitelylocate said article of work when said arm is inoperative position, said means being vertically movable from engagement with said work.

3. A work locator of the character de-.

scribed, including: an arm; means enabling the swinging of said arm from an inoperative position, at a side, in lateral and downward direction towards operative position; an ad-. justable stopjfor determining the operative position of said arm; and means carried by, said arm for engaging an article (if work so as to determine the position thereof, said means being adjustable to a variety of positions in a substantially horizontal plane.

4. A work locator of the character-d scribed, including: an arm; means enabling the swinging of said arm froman inoperative position, at a side, in lateral and down- 7 ward direction towardsoperative position; an adjustable stop for determining the operative position of said arm; an adjustable extension on said arm; and a center point carried by said extension for engaging a depression in an article of work, said center point having a definite position when said extension is in operative position. I 5. A work locator 'of the Character describedgincluding: an arm; means enabling the swinging of saidarm from an inoperative position, at a side, in-lateraland downscribed, including: an arm; means enabling the swinging of said arm from an inoperative position, at a s1de,v1n lateral and downward direction towards o erative oosition' an adjustable stop for determining the operative position of said arm; an adjustable extension on said arm; and means for engaging an article of work, said means being carried by said arm in position to definitely locate said article of work when said arm is in operative position.

7. A work locator of the character described, including: an arm; means enabling the movement of said arm between operative and inoperative positions; a center point carried by said arm for engaging'a depression in an article of work, said center point having a definite position when said arm is in operative position; and stop means operative in consequence of the movement of said arm into operative position to prevent actuation of the mechanism to which said center 10- cator is attached.

8. A work locator of the character described, including: an arm; means enabling the movement of said arm between operative and inoperative positions; means for engaging an article of work, said means being carried by said arm in position to definitely locate said article of work when said arm is in operative position; and stop, means operative in consequence of the movement of said arm into operative position to prevent actuation of the mechanism to which said center 10- cator is attached.

9. A work locator of the character described, including: an arm; means enabling the swinging of said arm from an inoperative position, at a side, in lateral and downward direction towards operative position; an adjustable stop for determining the operative position of said arm; acenter point carried by said arm for engaging a depression in an article of work, said center point having a definite position when said arm is in operative' position; and stop means operative in consequence of the movement of said arm into operative position to prevent actuation of the mechanism to which said center locator is attached.

the rearward end of said bracket to a machine having an operating head, whereby said bracket may be swung laterally from an inoperative position at a side to an operative position with the outer end of said extension under said operating head; an adjustable stop carried by said bracket forengaging a part of said machine; and a center point projecting downwardly from said extension.

11. A work locator of the character described, including: a bracket; an extension adjustably supported by the forward end of said bracket; means for pivotally securing the rearward end of said braoket'to a machine having an operating head, whereby said bracket may be swung laterally and downwardly from an inoperative position at a side to an operative position with the outer end of said extension under said operating head; an adjustable stop carried by said bracket for engaging a part of said machine ;a center point extended vertically through said extension; a spring for holdingsaid centerpoint downwardly; and a lever for raising said center point against the action of said-spring 12. In a work locating device for use on a machine inwhich work is to be located, the combination of: a: locator means; a supporting means carrying said locator means and being swingable from an operative to aninoperative position; and pivot means adapted to support said supporting means on a tilted axis in order that said supporting means will tend to remainin operative position by gravlty; a v

18. In a work locating device for use on a machine in which work is to be located, the combination of: a locator means; a supporting means carrying said locator means and being swingable from an operative to an inoperative position; and stop means for preventing actuation or said machine when said supporting means is in operative Position.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles, California, this 4th day of June, 1929. r

' CLIFFORD H. GLAZE- CLAUDE I. BROWVN. 

